The Wyetts: A personal mission

CHARLEVOIX — There’s no such thing as a lazy morning in bed for 44-year-old Todd Wyett.

“My mind is constantly on,” said the owner of Glen’s Plaza and developer of Walgreen’s in Charlevoix.

Having served on the state Waterways Commission for three years, one of which as chairman, and currently serving on the executive board of the Michigan Economic Development Commission, an organization supplying customized economic development services to help companies and communities find success in a competitive global economy, Wyett said he likes helping others take their opportunities and leverage them into greater successes.

That said, Wyett’s primary concern is jobs — or more the lack thereof in Michigan.

“We’ve been in a single state recession since Sept. 11, 2001. It finally happened that the rest of the country caught up,” he said. “It’s all about jobs right now — that’s the best four letter word I know and I know all the four letter words.”

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While Wyett said there are a lot of jobs downstate, most are minimum wage.

What’s worse is the lack of public transportation.

“The odds are most people who are seeking jobs don’t have reliable transportation. That’s not a problem I know how to solve,” he said.

Although Wyett is a developer, he believes the key to a successful community is a vibrant downtown — a reason he, his wife, Pam, and their “blended family” of four children couldn’t be happier to call Charlevoix “home.” However, a blizzard almost deterred Wyett from seeing all the region had to offer.

“I came here on Dec. 23, 1993,” he said. “It was a blizzard and had I known how bad it was, I wouldn’t have driven here.”

With nothing to eat on Christmas Eve other than pasta sauce and saltines from 7-Eleven, Wyett said the weather was so bad, he couldn’t get to Petoskey.

Making a return trip during the summer, Wyett discovered the area was even better than all the winters, summers and weekends he spent on Squam Lake in New Hampshire.

And along with his love for the area, Wyett feels a responsibility to give back.

“Those who can give back to their communities must otherwise they won’t have a community,” he said. “It’s not just about responsibility — it’s not an obligation, but it is our turn. Someone helped before us, someone is helping right now and someone’s going to help after us. Right now, it’s just our turn.”

One of the Wyetts’ most pressing issues? Digital mammography. The couple have made it their personal mission to educate everyone they can about the benefits of digital mammography over analog mammography. The mission is especially personal because a small lump was recently detected in Pam’s breast that would not have been detected on analog.

“This is not about me — it’s about this technology saving the lives of countless other women. Digital mammography saved my life,” Pam said.

While Wyett is proud of his wife and her determination, he’s also proud of the couple’s four children.

“It’s interesting to go from being a child yourself and having a relationship with your parents to being a parent and having a relationship with your children. You come full circle and what I’ve learned most from them is patience,” he said.

Looking toward the future, Wyett said he “hopes to do everything.”

“I don’t have a bucket list, I have an empty bucket,” he said.

In the meantime, the Wyetts are grateful to live in a warm, giving community.

“We love it up here — it’s so special,” Pam said. “It’s back to an era where family and community is most important and that’s what’s most important to us.”